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Salvation Army By Rizwan Iqbal Origins - History William Booth was born in Nottingham in 1829. At the age of 13 he was sent to work as an apprentice in a pawnbroker's shop to help support his mother and sisters. He did not enjoy his job but it made him only too aware of the poverty in which people lived and how they suffered humiliation and degradation because of it. During his teenage years he became a Christian and spent much of his spare time trying to persuade other people to become Christians too. When he had completed his apprentice work he moved to London and became a Minister. After his marriage to Catherine Mumford in 1855 he spent several years as a Methodist minister, traveling all around the country, preaching and sharing God's word to all who would listen. Yet he felt that God wanted more from him. One day in 1865 he found himself in the East End of London, preaching to crowds of people in the streets. Outside the Blind Beggar pub some missioners heard him speaking and were so impressed by his powerful preaching that they asked him to lead a series of meetings they were holding in a large tent. Booth soon realized he had found his destiny. He
formed his own movement, which he called 'The Christian Mission'. Slowly the mission began to grow but the work was hard and Booth would 'stumble home night after night haggard with fatigue, often his clothes were torn and bloody bandages swathed his head where a stone had struck', wrote his wife. Evening meetings were held in an old warehouse where urchins threw stones and fireworks through the window. Outposts were eventually established and in time attracted converts, yet the results remained discouraging-this was just another of the 500 charitable and religious groups trying to help in the East End. It was not until 1878 when The Christian Mission changed its name to The Salvation Army that things began to happen. The impetus changed. The idea of an Army fighting sin caught the imagination of the people and the Army began to grow rapidly. Booth's fiery sermons and sharp imagery drove the message home and more and more people found themselves willing to leave their past behind and start a new life as a soldier in The Salvation Army. In 1874 the Bedford Institute used the ground for a tent to hold mission meetings, and subsequently was allowed to build an 'iron room'. The tent was acquired by William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, who used it for his own meetings held on another Quaker burial ground in Whitechapel.
Central Beliefs - Worship The Salvation Army believes there is only one God and he only should be worshipped, and that he expresses himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that God’s creation of the universe was perfect but when man first deliberately disobeyed God, sin and suffering entered the world. As a result, man’s relationship with God has been spoiled. We believe that Jesus is both truly divine and human. Through his suffering and death on the cross is given the only way by which sinful people - which means all mankind - can be forgiven. When we are forgiven, our relationship with God is put right and we receive new spiritual life. Although this is God’s free gift, we have a part to play in that process - we must be truly sorry for our wrongdoing and have faith in Jesus. To maintain this new life we must continually have faith in Jesus and be obedient to him. Once we are ‘saved’, God gives us the help we need to live in the way he wants us to. We believe that our real selves never die but go on living beyond physical death. After this present life we will be accountable to God for how we have lived. Those whose lives have been as God has wished will live with him in eternal happiness; those who have not done so will be unhappy forever because they had no time for God. Changing social and economic conditions require the Army to take a critical look at, and sometimes review, parts of its structure, patterns of worship and methods of service. However, these Christian beliefs which form our doctrine are relevant to all generations and point to the unchanging answer to people’s basic need of a right relationship with God. Mission Statement The Salvation Army is a worldwide evangelical Christian church and human service agency. Its message is based on the Bible; its motivation is the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Its mission is to proclaim his gospel, to persuade people of all ages to become his disciples and to engage in a programme of practical concern for the needs of humanity. Its ministry is offered to all persons, regardless of race, creed, colour or
gender. The Eleven Doctrines
*Rizzy* Duh G.. :)
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Inevitably, the military spirit of the movement
meant that The Salvation Army soon spread abroad. By the time Booth was
‘promoted to Glory’ in 1912 the Army was at work in 58 countries.